MERTON & ANOMIE


Merton represents U.S. sociology's FIRST genuine theoretical break
with a general theory of society---he develops his view instead within
a specific theory of deviance. . .i.e., specificlaly a deviance
theory---Chicago School and Functionalism were theories of society.
Merton scaled down Parson's "GRAND THEORY" of society to a "THEORY OF
THE MIDDLE RANGE" to focus on a specific topic--deviance (ie,
crime/delinquency).

MERTON wants to examine how SOCIAL STRUCTURES exert a definite
pressure upon certain persons in society to facilitate their
engagement in deviant acts:  He identifies TWO KEY SITUATIONS:  l)
Culturally defined goals and b) Socially acceptable means to attain
those goals (give examples of wealth, sports, etc)

He constructs a TYPOLOGY (Define "TYPOLOGY" as simply a convenient way
of CLASSIFYING related things)

                        GOALS           MEANS

  CONFORMING              +               +


  INNOVATION              +               -

  RITUALISM               -               +

  RETREATISM              -               -

  REBELLION              +/-             +/-

His point:  Lack of a high degree of integratin between means and ends
favor increased frequency of anti-social conduct:

(NOTE: THIS IMPLIES A DEFINITION OF "CRIME" THAT IS NOT LEGALISTIC,
BUT NORMATIVE)

Illegitmate adjustment is a means of attempting to attain cultully
acceptable ends (e.g., wealth, status) by socially proscribed (ie,
prohibited) means (e.g., theft)

REPRHASED:  When aspirations are blocked, it will lead to one of a
variety of adaptive behaviors (in the typology) and the seach for
avenues of escapte from culturlly-induced intolearable situatins or
unrelieved ambitions may lead to illegitimate forms of adaptation (ie,
crime)

NOTE POLITICAL IMPLICATIONS:  Merton is saying that crime MAY BE
STRUCTRUALLY INDUCED---For MErton, deviance was "functional
rebellion," a theme implied by him, and later developed by culture
conflict theorists.  ie, it may be a NORMAL response to ABNORMAL
conditions---this, for its time, was RADICAL in that he was saying
that society may NOT be set up to serve the interests of everybody.